Albus Potter and the Home of the Shadow

Slytherin common room

"Slytherins, follow me, please," Jason Bletchley said, waving them over. Albus also saw Annabel Creed, the girl Prefect, making the students into an orderly line. Albus and Julian strode toward the line of students, where the first-years were right behind the Prefects.

"We're leaving now!" Jason Bletchley called over the raucous noise of the Great Hall. 

So they went. They went down a corridor that his brother hadn't put into very high detail, unless, Albus assumed, he was talking about going down to Potions or sneaking into the kitchens for food. 

The hall they went down was still lit with sconces of flame, burning bright along the walls. Then Albus found himself nearly swathed by darkness as he was descending a stone staircase. As soon as the stairs were over, Albus found himself in a stone corridor. The sconces of flames were back, this time in more exotic colors. There were bright blue flames lighting the way. 

Along the way, Albus saw many rooms. He saw the Hufflepuffs ascending stone stairs, and after that, a closed door, presumably the Potions classroom, as James had described it. Then the line halted at a blank stretch of wall.

"Slughorn!" Jason Bletchley said confidently. 

Albus gasped. A door glimmered into appearance. Albus' eyes were trained on the spot next to the door. The wall looked almost like it had something on it before. A slot of some kind. 

Albus followed Julian into through the door. They Slytherin Common Room looked...

Ominous.

Maybe it was all that he heard about Slytherin for his uncle and his brother, the story he heard from his mum, but it just seemed that way. 

The Slytherin Common Room seemed to have a theme of green and silver and a tiny bit of black. The walls were imprinted with the serpent of Slytherin. His uncle said he always wanted to change the name, his father and mother and aunt had also agreed. 

In the middle of the Common Room, right in front of the blazing fireplace, was a small black sofa. Next to it were two armchairs. They looked rigid, however, and uncomfortable. Albus saw the first year boys going into the dormitory. 

The Slytherin Common Room, unlike Gryffindor's, had a ramp leading to the higher-level dorms. There was a small staircase leading up to a room that looked twice as big as any of the other dorms. The Head Dorms.

"Albus, are you coming?" Julian asked.

"Yeah," Albus told him. "I'm coming."

"It'll be fine soon enough," Julian said reassuringly.

Albus stayed silent, but nevertheless followed Julian to the first year boys' dormitories.

"Albus Potter!" A voice said. 

Albus saw two boys coming towards him. They looked ecstatic. They were Martin Baddock and Brian Payne, if he remembered correctly. The only boy in the dormitory who hadn't came bounding up to him was Malfoy, the boy he was told to avoid.

"Okay, okay, get off!" Albus barked. 

Albus hated attention. Especially for this. His dad had told him why he was famous, which was why he loathed his popularity. James, his brother, basked in attention, but also hated the attention. He wanted recognition for something besides a traumatic experience for his father, something besides the deaths of grandparents. His brother seemed to be popular without even trying.

"Be quiet!" Another voice barked. A cold drawl this time.

Everybody turned around to see Malfoy, looking frustrated. For once, Albus agreed with the Malfoy.